Shocked everyone – the turnaround following the uproar

 

Johan Edgar 

Published 00:03 | Updated 00:23

No one knew what he would say.

Suddenly, Trump had an internal revolt on his hands.

"The White House was completely blindsided," says a member of the president's staff.

After a week of internal outrage within both the White House and the Pentagon, Donald Trump made an announcement in a post on Truth Social on Thursday.

The execution of mass murderer Nidal Hasan on December 3 will not be broadcast live to the public.

"I think a live broadcast of the execution, so that everyone could see it, could have a powerful deterrent effect if the world were to witness how the US treats terrorists and SCUM like Hasan. But many very good and well-meaning people would prefer not to see him die, whether via a live broadcast or in any other way," Trump writes.

"Third World"

It was last week that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the execution of the former psychiatrist—who killed 13 colleagues at the Fort Hood military base in Texas in 2009—would be carried out by firing squad and broadcast for anyone who wished to watch.

The announcement sparked a storm of criticism in the US, and opinion polls have shown that eight out of ten Americans opposed a live broadcast of the execution.

"We are now officially part of the Third World," read a reader comment on the *Washington Post’s* initial article about the announcement—a sentiment that fairly well reflected the anger.

According to reports in the American press, neither the White House nor the Pentagon had been informed beforehand. 

Trump: Didn't know

President Trump made the decision after consulting in recent days with White House advisors and other allies who expressed concern that the execution would turn into a bloody spectacle on live television, the Wall Street Journal reports.

According to the newspaper's sources, Trump told his allies that he had not been involved in the initial decision.

Hasan is paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by police during his attack.

Many close to Trump feared that a live broadcast of his death would become a propaganda victory for America's adversaries.

"Completely blindsided"

Politicians from both the Republican and Democratic parties have also been highly critical.

A source within Trump's staff told the Washington Post, following the president's social media post on Thursday, that they could say "with absolute certainty that the White House was completely blindsided" by Hegseth's announcement.

According to the staffer, many people in Hegseth's inner circle also appeared to have been taken by surprise.

Within the military, Hegseth's plan had garnered some support but also sparked revulsion and outrage, the Washington Post reports, citing a number of interviews conducted in recent days.

Could benefit terrorists

Even people in Trump's immediate circle were critical.

Vice President JD Vance expressed doubt last week as to whether the live broadcast would actually take place, stating that he did not intend to watch it if it did.

House Speaker Mike Johnson argued that there was concern that footage from the execution could be used as "recruitment material for future terrorists." It was not just the announcement of the live broadcast that came as a shock to the Pentagon.

The fact that Hasan was to face a firing squad was also news to the Defense Secretary’s staff.

Forced to alter execution plans

Army officials were forced to scramble to determine how the execution would be carried out, according to Army and Pentagon sources speaking to the *Wall Street Journal*.

For months, the Army had been planning to execute Hasan via lethal injection.

Trump’s reversal regarding the execution is widely viewed as a sharp rebuke of the Defense Secretary—who is already facing heavy criticism from politicians across both parties.

Hegseth’s rationale for executing Hasan publicly was that "people need to understand that actions of this kind have serious consequences."

According to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, Trump informed Hegseth of his decision before posting it on Truth Social.

"He supports the president’s decision, and they are in complete agreement," Parnell said.

"He will be executed by firing squad as planned, but the execution will not be broadcast live. However, the victims' next of kin will have the opportunity to witness the execution if they so desire," Trump wrote.